Another rooftop encounter
by medusalan
Summary: Catwoman and Batman friendship fic... just sweet, no relationships.


Gotham City streets were never quiet. At any hour of the 24, the growling engines of cars and the wailing of sirens combined to create a familiar cacophony for all the city inhabitants… Well, maybe not quite all. Twelve stories above the street level, the sound is muted for two of the more unusual residents.

A man draped in black hugs the deeper shadows, near invisible whilst he keeps his watch. He's not sure if she'll be here tonight, and he wouldn't normally keep a stakeout like this without that certainty. But he simply cannot bring himself to face another round of lunacy from his more usual foes without a dash of sanity in his night first. For all her faults, he knows that the Catwoman is indeed sane: what's more, he knows that in different circumstances, he might openly enjoy her company, instead of skulking in the shadows, waiting to catch her in her criminal enterprises.

The stars march slowly on their course, and finally the Bat's patience is rewarded- a purple silhouette appears on the far side of the roof, a long whip outlined in her hand. A moment by a skylight, a telltale '_snip_' of claws on wire, and he knows that she has disabled the security system once again. Almost, he is pleased- he knows that when the Catwoman is involved, there will be no hostages, no coin flips, no bullets and no madness, only a sleek and smoothly professional burglary. Detaching himself from his hideout in the shadows, he runs silently towards the skylight- and is perfectly positioned to pinion a pair of purple wrists, as they return bearing her prize.

She counters, of course- skilful adversaries both enjoy the challenge the other brings. The man had the jump, however, and the conclusion is decided from the beginning- the purple pinned beneath the black, her naughty smile making the posture suggestive. She sighs theatrically, and allows him to remove the sparkling necklace from her throat. His hands are gentle as they undo the clasp.

"So handsome, what brings you here tonight?"

"I was expecting you."

She looks confused.

"I didn't even know I'd hit here tonight. I just decided to have a bit of fun. Not even the great Batman can anticipate that!"

Silence follows the words for a second too long- long enough for her to understand.

"You didn't know, did you? You were… hoping?"

"Even if you are a criminal, you won't suddenly decide to blow up the entire building just because it's got 22 stories, or because it's a Friday."

The cat almost laughs- but only almost. Because then she realises that the Batman has just confessed to looking for her- and that sort of admission does not go with the man in the cape that she's used to. He's tired, she realises- tired and looking for something to do that won't plummet him into a death trap or hurt the Gothamites beneath. She's suddenly scared. With the Batman to keep them in check, the rogues of Gotham can be managed. But even the Catwoman is a civilian sometimes, and she is scared of what could happen if the Batman were to disappear. The man behind the mask, tired and weary, could achieve what no rogue ever managed- a tired Batman, she knows, would lead swiftly to a dead one.

So she doesn't laugh. She doesn't even smile. Instead, she gently frees one hand, and raises it to his cheek.

"You know, Batman, I don't know who you are, or what you look like. But I can tell you one thing for sure- you are a good man. You put up with the insanity, deal with it constantly- and because of that, the rest of us don't have to.

You're tired, and I don't blame you. It's a big burden to carry, and I guess in your line you don't get many thanks. But you know what? Batman, every night there are people in this city who are grateful to you, who feel safer because of what you do. That even includes me. So on behalf of all of us, thank you for making sure that we will all be able to wake up in the morning."

She falls silent, and her hand slips down beside her. No change of expression registers in his face, but suddenly his weight slips aside, releasing her from his hold. She climbs to her feet, facing him, then steps forward- as she holds the man in front of her for just a second, she hears a quiet "Thanks" in her ear. She steps back again, and only now flashes again her trademark grin at him.

" What are you waiting for, handsome? Go get 'em!"

She turns to leap away over the rooftops, knowing that he will already have disappeared. He watches her for a moment more. Yes, she is a criminal. But once again he will let her get away- because he knows that despite the game of cat and mouse they play, she's a friend. And in the life of both Batman and Bruce Wayne, a friend is worth more than all his skills or his billions. For the Batman, a friend is all he needs, to give him the reason to keep fighting.


End file.
